A catheter is a typical example of an elongate flexible medical part to be introduced into the body of a patient. Such a catheter is inserted into a tubular anatomical opening of a patient, and therefore must be relatively flexible. The catheter tip must also get to a patient's internal organ, so therefore must be relatively elongated. Other examples of elongate flexible medical parts are, for example, a guide, which is of smaller diameter and generally placed inside the catheter on which said catheter slides, or an interventional catheter, also arranged inside the catheter, having a tip providing some medical function such as a surgical tool (clamp, balloon, etc.).
The insertion of such catheters is usually monitored using X-rays. This results in radiation exposure for a physician who repeatedly performs such insertions.
Efforts have been made to automate this insertion. The catheter is then manipulated by a robot which is controlled remotely by the physician, still under X-ray guidance but from a room not exposed to, radiation.
Document U.S. Pat. No. 7,927,310 describes an example of such a system.
This system has the great advantage of being well suited for maintaining the sterility of catheters or other members introduced into the patient, which are bathed in preservative liquid such as normal saline solution. This robot is quite satisfactory. However, we are always looking to simplify the design of such a robot without reducing its performance, especially in terms of reliability.